flood waters north of the delta 06-19-08

AFTER SEVERE FLOODING EARLIER THIS SPRING IN THE DELTA AREA, THE MISSISSIPPI LEVEE BOARD SAYS THIS TIME WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THE HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING AS THE MIDWEST IS. PETER NIMROD, WITH THE MISSISSIPPI LEVEE BOARD SAYS, "WE'RE THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER, THAT'S WHERE WE MEET THE OHIO RIVER, DOWN HERE WE DON'T EXPECT TO GET ABOVE BANK FULL CONDITIONS."  AT THE OHIO-MISSISSIPPI-RIVER INTERSECT, THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WIDENS AND DOUBLES THE SIZE SO WE'RE ABLE TO HOLD A LOT MORE VOLUME OF WATER AND HAVE LESS EFFECT. BUT OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE RIVER. THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY EMA SAYS, "THE FORECAST IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET 45 FT IN GREENVILLE ON JUNE 29TH, THAT'S 3 FT BELOW BANK FULL CONDITIONS." HOWEVER THE LEVEE BOARD IS STILL EXPECTING MINOR FLOODING NIMROD SAYS, "YOU WILL HAVE SOME RIVERSIDE ACCESS ROADS THAT WILL GO UNDER WATER, LIKE LOWER LAKE FERGUSON ROAD WILL PROBABLY GO UNDER." BOTH WASHINGTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE MISSISSIPPI LEVEE BOARD SAY THEY'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS PAST SPRINGS FLOODING. NIMROD SAYS THE SPRING FLOODING HURT AND HELPED. "WE'VE LEARNED WHAT SOME OF OUR WEAKNESSES ARE, AND WHAT WE DO TO CORRECT THEM AND WE'RE WORKING ON THEM RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK....WE'RE VERY PREPARED."